How New Words That Enter Into the Common Lexicon Are Added To the Oxford Dictionary

In a fascinating Ted Ed lesson animated by TOGETHER, educator and anthropologist Marcel Danesi explains how new words enter the common lexicon, how words have entered the English language in the past and what it takes for a word to be added to the Oxford Dictionary.

There are over 170,000 words currently in use in the English language. Yet every year, about a thousand new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Where do they come from, and how do they make it into our everyday lives?

• Interactive Chart Shows Which Words Originated in Your Birth Year
• A Merriam-Webster Dictionary Writer Explains How She Interprets and Describes the English Language
• Oxford Dictionary Adds 'Twerk,' 'Omnishambles,' 'Squee,' 'Selfie,' and More Modern Slang